From all of the pirates to you…  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  We’re thankful you’ve hung with us for another year.  Enjoy your feasting and have a safe and happy day!

We continue the celebration of our two year anniversary with a special visit from Contemporary Romance author Terri Osburn. Ms. Osburn is celebrating the release of her debut novel, LETTING GO, and has been gracious enough to grant us an interview.   

Bo’sun: It is my great privilege to have with me today, the lovely and talented Terri Osburn. *crew breaks into applause*

Terri: Thank you so much. You all are so sweet. *accepts a large pink drink from Chance* Why thank you. *sniffs drink and takes tentative sip* You all look so familiar, like we’ve met before.

Bosun: Ever visited Tortuga?

Terri: Afraid I haven’t had the pleasure. Do you all hit any industry functions?

Bosun: Organized functions isn’t really a pirate’s thing.

Terri: Hmmm….Maybe it’ll come to me later. Anyway, thanks for inviting me aboard. I’ve heard so much about this group of pirates.

Bosun: And you still agreed to visit with us? Huh, how about that. *watches Terri take another drink of the pink concoction* Though I think I’m starting to see why. I’m sure your life is really busy right now with the new book being released.

Terri: Well, my life is always really busy, but this is a little crazier than even I’m used to. But I can’t complain. Seeing my book on the store shelves makes it all worth it.

Bosun: Are you always this….positive?

Terri: Pretty much. Drives my CP crazy. *takes another drink and licks pink foam from upper lip* Oh, you know her, she was here last week. Sophie?

Bosun: You and Sophie are crit partners? What a coincidence.

Terri: I know, what are the odds? Even funnier, Maureen, your Friday guest, is one of my friends too.

Bosun: Huh, small world.  Since we’re here to talk books, tell us about your debut release, LETTING GO.

Terri: I’d love to. *sets drink down but not too far away* LETTING GO is the story of Bryan Riggs and Celi Cooper. Bryan is a chef opening his first restaurant who hires a marketing group to help launch the business. Celi is in charge of his account and neither is very happy about it…in the beginning. See, these two are new neighbors and didn’t exactly hit it off upon first meeting. They exchange some creative insults, but the budding attraction proves too much for them. In the end, they both have to face some fears and lingering ghosts in order to find that illusive HEA.

Bosun: I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this one and I have to say, I loved the combination of humor and angst.

Terri: I’m so glad you liked that aspect of the story. You have no idea how much of a relief that is. I’m afraid writing a story without a few laughs and some heart yanking angst is something I can’t do.

Bosun: I’m glad to hear that since I’m assuming it means your other books will be similar. Tell us what’s up next for you and will future books connect to this one?

Terri: None of my books connect, they are all stand alone stories.  I never really planned it that way, that’s just how the stories come to me. My next book is called CHOICES and it’s my first effort at the proverbial love triangle. Joe loves his tiny island home, but when his brother brings his fiancé home for a visit, Joe realizes he could love her as well. Julianne and Joe both have some very tough choices to make by the end of this one.

The next book is called TAKING A STAND for right now and it’s the story of a small town English teacher fighting for her school to invest as much into academics as they do in sports. When the home town hero returns from his glory days in the major leagues to coach the school baseball team, that fight gets even tougher. And establishes Tom and Emma as instant enemies. That one is still under construction and I’m having a great time fleshing out all the issues these two have to face.

Bosun: Wow, both of those sound amazing. You’ll have to come back and visit with those as well. *bends close and whispers* I can get ARCs of those too, right?

Terri: Uhm…sure. I guess so.

Bosun: Good. Now, as you probably realize from our previous interviews, we all love to hear a call story around here. So how did THE CALL go for you?

Terri: That’s always a fun story to tell. After years of reading everyone else’s story, you wonder what yours will be like, you know? I always say I received TWO calls which makes mine nothing like what I expected. 

Like most authors, I’d sent out about a million queries and partials and had a folder *cough*drawer*cough* full of rejection letters to show for it. Staying positive through THAT was not easy. But I kept at it and finally got a call from my dream agent, Kimberly Whalen. She called while I was at my day job and took me completely by surprise. I’m still not sure what I said in that first phone call except YES! *finishes drink* Can I get another one of these? *shirtless hottie shows up right away with another glass* Oh my, thank you so much. I can see now how this ship earned its reputation.

Now, where was I? Oh yes, the second call. That one also came from my agent, but it was six months later and was to inform me Rose Hilliard of St. Martin’s Press wanted to buy my book. Funny enough, it also came while I was at work and it’s so good that I work in a laid back office. No one seemed to flinch at my wall-shaking scream of excitement. Though I did have the presence of mind to wait until we’d hung up and not scream in Kimberly’s ear. That all feels like forever ago, and now I’m on The Revenge talking up my first release. Life sure can take you by surprise.

Bosun: Wow, I want that to be my story some day. How amazing.

Terri: You never know, maybe one day I’ll be the one interviewing you. *takes another sip and gets distracted as another hottie passes with some brownies* Delicious!

Bosun: The brownies are good around here.

Terri: Brownies? What brownies?

Bosun: *clears throat* Before we lose you completely, I think we better turn this over to the rest of the crew. To get things started, is there anything you’d like to ask our guests?

Terri: There sure is. How important is a high concept to you? Will you pick up a book if all you know about it is that it’s a wonderful, simple love story? How do you feel about Contemporaries and who do I need to see about getting this drink recipe?

Is it the face of a child
Is it the thrill of danger
Is it the kindness we see in the eyes of a stranger
Is it more than faith
Is it more than hope
Is it waiting for us at the end of our rope

I say, it’s love
I say, it’s love

Is it the one you call home
Is it the Holy Land
Is it standing right here holding your hand
Is it just like the movies
Is it rice and white lace
Is it the feeling I get when I wake to your face

I say, it’s love
I say, it’s love

Is it the first summer storm
Is it the colors of fall
Is it having so little
And yet having it all
Is it one in a million
Is it a chance to belong
Is it standing right here singing this song

I say, it’s love
I say, it’s love

Is it a veil or a cross
Is it the poet’s gift
Is it the face that has launched over thousands of ships

Is it making you laugh
Is it letting you cry
Is it where we believe that we go when we die
Is it how you were made
Is it your mother’s ghost
Is it the wish that I’m wishing for your life, for your life, for your life the most?

From the song LOVE performed by Sugarland.  Written by Kristian Bush, Jennifer Nettles, and Tim Owen.

For everyone, whatever it is to you, we wish you Love today.  And everyday.

Invisible Voice Over Guy: Please welcome to the dingy decks of The Romance Writer’s Revenge, the brilliant, the astounding, the Amazing Bo’nac.

*Bo’sun trips her way onto the decks wearing a ridiculously huge hat and cape*

Hello there, my lowly wenches.  Bo’nac is here to answer all those pressing, important questions you have about the year ahead.  What can you expect in your love life?  In your professional life?  In the stock market?  Okay, I’m not really going to answer any of those things.  BUT, I am here to predict what will be happening around this ship in the next year.

Prediction #1:

Six months from now there will be a party on this ship like nothing ever seen before.  Hotter Hotties, stronger spirits, Pirates and Ninjas dancing side by side.  The glitter will fall like confetti in a ticker tape parade.  Why do they call those things ticker tape parades anyway?  I mean, isn’t the ticker tape that thing they used to track stocks or something? 

Anyway, where was I?  Oh yeah, Prediction #2:

By the middle of July, Captain will have blogged about Harry Potter 9,342 times.  And because we love her, we will all encourage her obsession and support each other in our efforts not to throw her overboard.

Prediction #3:

Sin and Bo’sun will actually finish their WIPs in time for entry into the Golden Heart which in turn will result in Hell freezing over.  As Hell freezing over is a sign of many other non-plausible events, don’t be surprised if pigs fly and a politician tells the truth around the end of the year.

Prediction #4:

Gunner Marnee will finish her second MS and possibly a third.  This will result in her fellow pirates leaving her stranded on a deserted island.  We’d like to say we’ll feel bad about this, but we’d be lying.

Prediction #5:

After the pirates and their favorite pirate peeps all meet up at Nationals in July, blogs will follow which include phrases like “THAT WAS THE BEST CONFERENCE EVER!”, “I can’t believe I threw up on Nora’s shoes”, and “If you don’t destroy those pictures, I will kick your ass.”

Now Bo’nac turns the crystal ball over to you.  What do you predict will happen in your life this year?  Is there a completed MS in your future?  How about some query letters?  Contests?  Publication? (Note: if any of these events occur, we do hope you’ll let us know so we can throw you the appropriate celebration.)

From all of us here at RWR, we wish you the very best this Christmas.  Hope your day is filled with family, friends, food, and fun!

Since this is my last blog before the big day, I figured I’d hand out the presents that I bought my fellow pirates.

For Sin, I found the perfect presents.  You know those times when you’re looking and looking for the right gift, and then you see it.  That thing that just screams out a person’s name.  These shirts not only screamed Sin’s name, they screamed her exact words!  Aren’t they cute?!?

While I was trying to figure out what to get Marn, this commercial came on television and I just knew I had to get this product for her.  Not only is Marn the only one of us who wrote an entire manuscript this year, she’s the haggled mum of a toddler, holding down a regular job, and working on making her family bigger.  Don’t ask us why, we’re not really sure. Though we understand the desire to *practice* making the munchkins.  So for Marn (and Mr. Marn who I do believe will be sending me a financial thank you for this one) I have this.  We’ll expect a full testimonial as to the effects and benefits of this product. J

Shopping for Lis was tough.  As the mistress of the Hottie, I knew whatever I found, it had to be hot.  Real hot.  With this present, Lisa can enjoy the fittest, hottest bodies all year long.  Talk about the gift that keeps on giving. 

And we come to the Captain.  You might think I would go for the obvious, something Harry Potter-ish or anything with Jack on it.  But when you really think about it, do you think there’s anything left in either of those arenas that she doesn’t already have?  Yeah, I don’t think so either.  So, I went a little obvious but put a twist on it.  The Captain is about to get her own new cabin here soon, so I figured she needs some new pirate essentials.  Every pirate captain needs her own, fully-accessorized pirate bath.

I do hope all my shipmates like their presents.  Here’s the question of the day.  If money, size, and practicality were of no concern, what is the perfect gift for you.  Time to dream ladies.  Dream big!

An official U.S. national holiday since 1894, Labor Day is celebrated the first Monday in September and pays tribute to the contributions of the working class to our nation’s prosperity, strength, and well-being (as per these people).

As someone who, well, works, I’m guessing I’m one of those people.  As are most Americans.  And if anyone wants to say stay-at-home-moms do not work or contribute, don’t be saying it aboard this vessel.  You may find yerself needing a peg-leg and I ain’t talking about the one that ends with a shoe.

Now, if there’s anything with which a writer is well-acquainted, it’s labor.  According to Dictionary.com, labor can be defined as “exert one’s powers of body or mind; work; toil.”  Do we toil for our stories?  Do we exert the powers of our minds?  You better bloody believe it.

So on this day paying tribute to all of us who labor, writer’s especially, I say raise yer rum and give a loud “HUZZAH!”  Now take the day off.

How are you celebrating Labor Day?  Gathering with the family?  Out on the water?  Having a picnic?  Whatever you’re doing, don’t forget to turn those dogs!

PS: I will be picnicking myself but I’ll check in when I can.

I’ve been at this writing thing for almost two years now, and in that time I’ve read countless blogs, emails and comments from other writers who say not writing makes them anxious, or irritable, or antsy.  I’m reluctant to say I’ve never felt that way.  I’ve written consistently for periods of time and gone without writing for long periods of time, but I’ve never felt like writing was essential to my mental stability.  [Note: If you've read my personal blog lately, you know my mental stability isn't as sound as it could be these days.]

I’m now happy to report this has all changed.  I’ve caught the bug and it is really taking hold.  I have not been able to open my WIP since before leaving for San Fran.  And where, in the past, this would be no more than another prod for my ever-present guilt, these days it’s more of an irritation.  It’s making me anxious and antsy.  I finally feel like a member of the club.

I’m guessing this virus was airborne at Nationals.  It hovered in the air, lingered in the elevators and manifested in the bar.  It passed from chair to attendee as the workshops rolled through and could have even been lifted from the moving rail of the escalators.  Heck, I might have even gotten it from the mouse in the business center.

No matter where exactly I contracted this virus, I’m damn glad it found me.  I wish it would have found me when I have more time to treat it, but I’m happy all the same.  Ideas for scenes emerge in my mind when I’m least expecting it.  My characters pace impatiently, giving me flashes of the emotion, humor and angst that is to come if only I’d sit down and type.  Three more weeks of school and then I get a break.  Then I can begin the treatment.  Only I have no intention of curing this ailment.  In fact, I’m hoping to keep it for quite a long time.

Do you have this virus?  Do you get the shivers and fall into withdrawals if you’ve been away from writing too long?  If you’re a reader, how long do you go between books?  If you finish one and don’t have another to pick up right away, does it make you anxious to get to the store?

In case you haven’t heard, and that is highly unlikely if you spend any time at all on this ship, I’m heading off to San Francisco next week for the annual RWA National Conference.  I’ve attended a smaller conference in New Jersey, but never the Nationals.  I’ve also never been anywhere near the west coast.  To say I’m excited is like saying Nora is kind of successful.

Though I’m a plotser (or plantser or whatever we’re calling the plotter/pantser combo this week) in my writing life, in real life I pants it all the way.  I rarely plan ahead, take everything as it comes, and never, absolutely NEVER, make lists.  Until now.

Last week on the Romance Bandits blog, Blaze author Tawny Weber covered the topic of getting organized and prepared for the conference.  She ever suggested making a schedule spreadsheet complete with color coding. Her timing was perfect as I’d just had a dream – make that a nightmare – the weekend before that I had arrived in San Fran without any of the things I needed.  Say what you will, but the Universe was telling me to get my arse in gear and get prepared.

First thing I did – make a list.  This is SOOOOO unlike me it’s scary.  I hate lists.  I have a friend who makes lists about making lists.  It’s a constant battle not to choke her when she tries to push these lists on me.  So the fact I succumbed to this task says a great deal about my anxiety.

I learned several things from the list.  One, for the amount of bathroom items required by me daily, I should be much better looking.  Seriously, the bathroom stuff took one side of the page.  And I kept adding to it.  But almost all of these items are packed (travel size items are my friend!) and marked off the list.

Another thing I learned is that shoes are not a big deal to me.  I’m taking my tennis shoes (wearing them on the plane actually) and the heels I’ll wear to get all prettied up for the awards ceremony.  Not another pair made it on the list.  With my bad knees, everyone will just have to deal with me in tennis shoes.  Otherwise, the pain will drive me to tears.  And for the record, I’m not pitching so no worries on me going in to impress an editor or agent in tennis shoes.

The final lesson was that one list leads to more lists.  I now have the list of things I still need to buy, the list of items I will wear that day, and the list of items I need to do prior to leaving.  It’s like a disease that keeps spreading.  Though I admit, for a person with my memory issues, I should probably embrace list making more often.

What about you?  Do you make lists before a big trip?  Do you make lists for everyday things?  Or does making a list send you over the edge?  Could you make it through a four day conference with only two pairs of shoes, or would you need a separate suitcase for foot gear alone?  If you’re going to Nationals, what’s on your list that I might have forgotten to add to mine?

PS: Tune in next week when I talk about creating spreadsheet schedules and picking the right workshops.

Today is the observed first day of summer, though the real first day of summer is not for weeks, so we thought we’d pull into port and join all the Memorial Day celebrations.  We’ll start with the serious stuff and get silly from there.

The official origins of Memorial Day are sketchy, but it basically started in the 1860s when people wanted to honor and remember those who gave their lives in the Civil War.  After World War I, it changed to honor all who died in any war.  And it became an official federal holiday (in the US) by an act of Congress in 1971.  So, might I suggest, between the hot dogs and the belly flops, take a moment to remember those who have fought and died for our freedom.  And those who will die today, and tomorrow, and the next day.

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

-         Moina Michael

Now onto the silly stuff.  Here’s what the crew will be doing on shore leave.  *Note: these are true testimonies of the Pirates herein and I take no responsibility for their accuracy or debauchery.

The Captain will be depleting her alcohol stores: cold beer in the fridge, rum behind the bookcase, and wine given to her by a faculty member with the title “Grad-zilla Eraser”. She is going to do her damnedest to erase the Grad-zillas she’s had to put up with the last few weeks and think of new and creative ways to stop doing folders.

In honor of our fallen heroes, Gunner Marnee will also be drinking alcohol, though probably something girlie, like whiskey or tequila.  She will also be stuffing herself with her fair share of salads and burgers in their honor, attempting to wrangle her son, and keep her adult cool when the teenagers next door set off fireworks at ungodly hours, as they are wont to do during holidays of patriotic classification.
 
Beyond that, she would like to write her sex scene as she’d expect her characters are sexually frustrated at this point and she almost feels bad about stringing them on in this fashion.  Almost. (editor’s note: love that whiskey is considered a girlie drink.)

Powder Monkey Lisa will be celebrating L’il Pirate Chad‘s birthday with an inflatable party and 30 kids. She will need Valium in the worst way:) PM will also be cooking out on Monday and doing the usual placing of flowers on relatives graves. (editor’s note: bonus points for Lisa.)

Quarter Master Sin’s got nothing. She could make up something really awesome and people would believe it, like roasting said kittens Hellion was saving (inside joke – just go with it) and selling them as kabobs to hungry orphans. But that would seem rather mean. Just a little bit.

Honorary Pirate Queen and Whip Wielder Dee will be relaxing, watching Blockbuster movies and WRITING. (editor’s note: no need to show off.)

And I, Bo’sun Terrio, am leaving my options open.  I’m pretty sure there will be time spent at the community pool (where I will be hiding far from the water’s edge pretending to write) and lots of sleeping.  Did I mention sleeping?

It’s your turn.  What are you doing today?  And contrary to what’s written above, don’t be surprised if most of us just end up playing online today.  Or sleeping.